Cleveland Guardians Pitcher Louis Ortiz Placed on Leave

Louis Ortiz of the Cleveland Guardians was unexpectedly put on paid leave just hours before he was set to pitch against the Chicago Cubs on Thursday. The details surrounding the league’s investigation are still unclear at this point.

Ortiz will remain on leave until after the All-Star break in what is his first season with the Guardians. MLB has stated that it will not provide further comments until the investigation wraps up.

Following the announcement from MLB, the Guardians released a statement saying, “The Guardians have been informed by Major League Baseball that Louis Ortiz has been placed on leave in accordance with an agreement with the Players Association due to an ongoing league investigation.” They added that they would respect the confidentiality of the process.

The 26-year-old right-handed pitcher was acquired in a trade involving the Pittsburgh Pirates, which included players Michael Kennedy and Josh Hartl in exchange for Spencer Holwitz.

This season, Ortiz has made 16 starts for the Guardians, recording a record of 4-9 with an ERA of 4.36 and 96 strikeouts, tying him for the most losses in the American League.

After Ortiz was removed from the lineup, Cleveland called up left-handed pitcher Joey Cantillo to fill the gap.